Electrically-propelled toy



Aug. 4, 1925. 1,548,633

F. L. SAWYER ET AL ELECTRIGLLY PROPELLED TOY Flefd June l0, 1922 v IN VEN TOR faam/W LQ/,M .p/er

` ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK L. SAWYER, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, AND CHRISTIAN BERGER, OF BROOKLYN, NEVI YORK, ASSIGNORS TO SAID FREDERICK L. SAWYER, TRUSTEE, F

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED TOY.

Application filed J'une 10, 1922. Serial No. 567,487.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, Commander Fannnnron L. SAWYER and CHRISTIAN BERGER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Evanston and Brooklyn, respectively, in the county of Cook and county of Kings, respectively,- and State of Illinois and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically- Propelled Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrically porpelled toy boats or other toy vehicles.

Self propelled toy boats as usually constructed have been operated by a spring or in some instances the toy boats have been driven by an electrical motor connected to the house current. Both these forms of power prop ulsion are unsatisfactory, since in the first case, the speed decreases as the spring runs down and the power stored in a coil spring is of small amount and the boat in a relatively short time comesto a stop while in the second case there is the danger of electrical shock to the child due to the wires becoming wet. Regular dry cells and storage batteries cannot be used in small toy boatsl because of their size. Y The small flashlight cell has not sufcient power to operate the small toy motors at present manufactured. It has been discovered, however, that a motor can be specially designed and constructed which can be driven A by the small cartridge battery of the flashlight type.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a compact electrical power plant and source of electricity, the both forming a unit capable of being inserted into the hull of the small toy boat or toy vehicle and transferable from one toy to another.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a small toy boat or other toy vehicle with an electrical motor so mounted as to both propel and control the direction of movements of the toy, the mounting being adjustable to vary the direction of movement of the toy. Still another obj ect of this invention is to provide a unit electrical power plant and source of supply having a driving shaft with removable propellers to permit the adaptation of the unit power plant and source of supply to drive either a water or air vehicle or the same vehicle by water or air propulsion. Still another object of this invention is to provide an electrically propelled toy having a readily removable source of supply which can be easily obtained and replaced at small cost without disconnection of any wiring.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1, is a plan view of the unit power plant embodying the principles of my invenion.

Figure 2, is a view in elevation of the unit power plant.

Figure 3, is a detail sectional view of Figure l along the line 3-3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4;, is a side elevation of a toy hydro-aeroplane with the unit vpower plant placed therein and adjusted for air propulsion.

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a toy boat with the unit power plant placed therein and adjusted for water propulsion.

In carrying out our invention we propose to provide various kinds of toy boats or other toy vehicles such as hydro-aeroplane 1, or launch l', having spaces 2, 2', therein to accommodate the removable unitpower plant 3 and source of electrical supply 7. The power plant 3 is mounted on base 12 and comprises a motora connected by wires 5 and 6 through contacts 21, 22 to unit cell 7 A switch 11 may also be provided. The motor driving shaft 8 carries removable propeller shaft 9 to which is attached propeller 10.

In order to provide a small, compact and eiiicient power plant we propose to employ a small toy motor 4i having permanent magnets for the field with small air gaps and well designed bearings to reduce friction and having as its source of electricity a small unit cell 7 of the cartridge type. lith such construction we have found that a small boat may be driven continuously at a satisfactory rate of speed by such a unit cell for the top thereof and the base 22 forms the other contact Which is really the metallic shell or container ofthe battery. VSpring contact arms 23, 24, are `bolted to base 3 and carry contacts 25, 26 to engage contacts 21, 22. The cartridge cell 7, as gen-` erally made, has a protruding rim at vthe top in 'order to protect and prevent short circuits When the battery is not connected and in use and therefore the form ofcontact must be such as to permit of engagement with 'contact 21 of the battery Withouttouching the rim of the container. The purpose of making one contact, .to Wit, 25 adjustable is to permit ofsuch adjustment should different `makes of cartridge cells be used for replacements and in which case the length may 4vary to a slightextent but suflicient to prevent Contact. The cartridge battery 7 has spring cradle clips 13, 18 tov hold it in position With respect to contacts 25, 26.

The battery maybe removed by a pull disengaging it fromthe spring clips k13, 13 which can be more readily done if the pull iseaerted past the midpoint of the battery and tothe right so that it pivots about theotlier contact and then can be easily removed. In fact if it is desired to shut off the power the the battery itself can be operated as a switch.

le also propose to ,mount the motor 4 on auniversal `joint to permit of its being rotated or of its beingtiltedin order that the unit power plant 3 when transferred from one toy boat to ano-ther having varying heights from the `Water line canbe adjusted to drive the toy boat and to permit of :the motor being adaptedto drive either by air or Water propulsion as Well as to permit of the-adjustment of the motor so that thetoy boat can be driven either in a straight line or acircle, the size of the circle depending upon the adjustment of the motor in azimuth. lWe have shown such a form of mounting Which consists of trunnion .carriage 14 having bolt 15 through the'center of the base and Wing adjusting nut 16 therefor. le also provide Wing adjusting nut 17 as one ofthe trunnions to frictionally hold the motor in any predetermined position of tilting. A pointer 18 is .formed integral with the trunnion carriage 1A and We' provide scale 19 secured to base `12 With'graduations thereon to permit ofthe setting of the motor in order that the child may predetermine the size of the circle that the boat Will malte.

The operationof the ftoy is as follows :ef-

The particular hull or vehicledesired to be operated by the child is `taken from the box and the unit power plant-is placed `in space-2 recessed to receive base "12 Without requiring securing 1neans,the motor having been adjusted asv desired either for motion in a straight line or for motion in circles by means of adjusting nut- 16 shown in Figure 1 in dotted lines, the size of the circle being determined by the indicator 18 and scale 19. Any desired superstructure may then ibe placedon `the hull by the child and `switch 11 being thrown, the little toy may then 'be placed in any body `of Water and operated. In casethe childdesires to use a land toy the motor ,unit `power plant 3 may be placed in space 2 of the toy having first 4beenadjusted for air drive by means of adtransfer from one toy `toano'ther. andfivhichi is .capable of adjustment forair `or water drive and to control thedirectionJofniotion` of the toy, and one that is iboth instructive and amusing to the child.

What We claim is:

1. An electrically propelled "toy comprising a toy vehicle and a unit electrical power plant consisting of a removable 4cartridge cell, a motor` and propelling means, said cartridge cell and motor ,mounted on a removable base, `means `for adjusting said motor With respect to said base and meansfor adjusting .said propelling means 'to `drive said vehicle `byeither air or Water propulsion. V i

2. An electrically propelleditoy compris-n ing a vehicle and a removable unit electrical power plant, said power plant `consisting of a base, .a cartridge uni-cell, a ymotor and propelling means carried by said motor, said uni-cell held by spring clips to said base and a rotatable trunnion carriage se-A cured to said base .for said motor, the pointer carried by said trunnion carriage co-operating with a scale affixed to said base torpredetermine the degree of rotation of said trunnion carriage.

3. An electrically propelled toy comprising a vehicle, and a unit power plant therefor, said power plant consisting of a replaceable source of supply, aenotor mounted fon a rotatable trunnion vcarriage and removable propeller shafts carriedby said motor.

A. A unit electrical power `plant for aftoy comprising in combination, a base, a` replaceable cartridge cell secured to said base, a motor mounted on a universal jointzon said base for adjustment of said motor in nazimuth or elevation and propelling means carried by said motor.

5. A unit electrical power.plantcolnpris ing in combination a cartridge uni-ce`ll`and a motor, said cell and motor mounted yupon a base, spring clips attached to said baseto hold said cartridge cell, an adjustable universal carriage secured to said base for said motor and propelling means carried by said motor.

6. An electrically propelled toy having a source of replaceable electrical supply, a motor, propelling means carried by said motor7 said source of electrical supply being self contained and forming the bridging complement of the circuit and means to permit said source of supply to be operated as a 10 switch.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York June A. D. 1922.

FREDERICK L. SAWYER. CHRISTIAN BERGER. 

